Nylon or Wood

[kev191]

What kind of stick do you use, why, and what brand

[puppet.master]

i use both wood and nylon i like the sound of wood way better on cymbals but the feel of nylon is nice

[CombatWombat3]

Ya, I use both as well, depending on my mood.

[SonorKen]

I use both. Nylon for the majority of the time, but all wood for power playing.

[dj_ando]

for the last few years i've only used wood. i don't like the really sharp nylon attack. just me i guess.

i've recently changed from zildjian 7A's to vic firth HD4's, which i'm loving at the moment.

edit: hehe, the poll is titled "Nylon or Qood"

[ThugsRook]

i use wood, but im getting tired of splintering the wood tips.
nylon tips fly off.
i might just go butt end to solve my problem :rolleyes:

sound wise i like nylons best, but voted for wood since thats what i use.

:wave:

[Win A Rabbit]

wood, for the sound on cymbals. yee-haw.

and by the way, you put it as "Qood" in your poll.

[Chippy569]

I use both. Nylon for the majority of the time, but all wood for power playing.
^ :D

[kev191]

for the last few years i've only used wood. i don't like the really sharp nylon attack. just me i guess.

i've recently changed from zildjian 7A's to vic firth HD4's, which i'm loving at the moment.

edit: hehe, the poll is titled "Nylon or Qood"

oh crap sorry, my mistake:(

[kev191]

and i use wood, i just got some zildjian 5b sticks

[puppet.master]

i use wood, but im getting tired of splintering the wood tips.
nylon tips fly off.
i might just go butt end to solve my problem :rolleyes:

sound wise i like nylons best, but voted for wood since thats what i use.

:wave:
ive never had that problem with nylons ive heard people talk about it though

[ThugsRook]

ive never had that problem with nylons ive heard people talk about it though
its my fault, i like to hit the ride bell with the tip as a "lite" bell ride sound. (unlike using the shoulder of the stick for the really loud bell sound)

hitting the bell straight on kills tips, both wood and nylon :upset:

[playwithfire]

I can't stand nylon tips. I play Vic Firth hickory wood tips always, weight of the stick changes, but the tip is always wood. It just has a great natural tone, and doesn't make your cymbals look hideous :lol:.

[Bone]

Vic Firth 2B's, Corpsmaster MS2's

Wood tip.

Simply the best made sticks.

[rockindrummer]

Wood tip is the way to go man.

[Seafroggys]

I use both. I mainly use nylons, since the tips last far longer and i like the ping on the ride, but for jazz gigs i switch to the wood for that mellower sound.

I use VF 5As.

[Tim]

vater 5b wood tip for practice w/o other instruments and vater fatback 3a woodtip for playing with other instruments.

[TerranCmdr]

Vic Firth 5AN, i like the sound of it on my shiny new ride :D

[crolfe1]

Pro-Mark 5A
I love the Japanesse Oak, but I think I may try the hickory soon.

Wood tip. Nylon makes A Custom cymbals look really ugly really quick. I've never had that problem with wood. Wood = warmth too :)

Tried and true the wood tip shall do.

[davo_guitarman]

Pro Mark 5A Millenium II's american hickory, absolutely fantastic sticks they break very few times ive broken about 2 out of 30 pairs

[blujelly]

i prefer nylong tips, because wood tips normaly break at the tip which piss me off

[Chris]

I use Vic Firth 5B's. I hate the sound nylon tips give you off cymbals.

[drummerafn]

i use wood . vf 5a
i use wood becasue i hate when the nylon tips come right off after a few weeks of playing. plus wood just has that sound that I like.

[VTDS_xx]

Nylon tipped.
Good sound, more durable tips.

Pro Mark 5A.

[aznriceball]

i love the feel of wood in my hands..

[bTd09]

nylon > wood

[Retarded Chipple]

Always Nylon. Every wood tip I've had, I've chipped within 5 minutes of playing. The chipped tip makes the stick definition sounded horrible, all muffled with no attack and I get paranoid that i'll embed a splinter into one of my heads.

[GooseFilms.net]

Nylon sounds too bright! For performance, I use wood, for practice, I use nylon (better head durability)

[Starship]

Wood is my preference, although I will use Nylon if I am out of wood sticks. No big deal.

My favorite stick right now is the Vic Firth 5A's.

[Janeway]

Wood.
I love that stuff.

[Money$hot]

Nylon 90% of the time for me. Pro Mark Japanese White Oak 5As or Vic Firth Hickory 5A. I love the sharp attack nylon gives as well.

Wood sticks, I'll use whatever's lying around. Right now some chewed up Zildjian 5Bs.

[kev191]

and i use wood, i just got some zildjian 5b sticks

o ya, btw they are hickory

[Sponer]

Promark 5A oak nylon tips

I started using nylon tips cause when I had insanely crappy cymbals (much worse than the Sabian B8s) the nylon tip just sounded better than wood. So I've stuck with nylon since then.

Only complaint is sometimes with cheaper sticks the tips come off.

[thenewguy515]

wood, Vic 7A's

[Ill Mitch]

Wood.
Vic Firth Peter Erskine model.

[Rayne264]

i use nylon, purely based on the durability. i like the sound of wood on cymbals more than nylon, but its not really relavent when you practice.

right now i practice with the david silveria sig sticks from vater. when im playing for someone or a gig, i usually use the zildjian rock dip.

[[Fonya]]

Wood.
Pro-Mark Oak 5bs..I love them right now..

[CombatWombat3]

i use nylon, purely based on the durability. i like the sound of wood on cymbals more than nylon, but its not really relavent when you practice.

right now i practice with the david silveria sig sticks from vater. when im playing for someone or a gig, i usually use the zildjian rock dip.


I can't stand dipped sticks, they bug the crap outta me.

[White]

when My new set gets here, im going to use Nylons, and wood, just switch up when I want a different sound, normally I used wooden tips, Vic Firths 7As, I switch from 5As to 7As by accident, I was in a hury and grabben the wrong pair, and I loved them

[I'd Hit it]

those dipped sticks gave me the most killer blisters ever.

right now I have a pair of jap oaks(5b) and some standard vf 7a's, both nylon tipped, nylon seems to have that extra 'click' i look for in rides and hats and not to mention the tips don't dent like wood ones. To those who say they mark your cymbals, I haven't got one white mark yet and i've been using nylon for a while. the dirtiest thing on my cymbals is finger prints and I hardly ever polish/wipe them down

[Jomofo]

Wood. 5B Vic Firths.

I've never bought a pair of nylons...but every pair I've ever played I hated.

[Double Bass Jim]

I mostly use nylon tip, i've always been paranoid of woodtip chipage.

[Half Life]

Pro-Mark Japan Oak 5A's.

Can't beat 'em :cool:

[puppet.master]

who are the ahead users

they shud own up

[playwithfire]

I mostly use nylon tip, i've always been paranoid of woodtip chipage.I don't see what these people are on about when they say their wood tips chip within 5 minutes of playing. You have to play like a god damn gorilla to chip them that fast, my tips always last a long time, and by the time they are done, it's the same amount of time a nylon tip would have broken off anyway.

[Double Bass Jim]

Yea I never had bad luck with wood tips thats for sure, it's just one of those things thats in the back of my mind.

[Bone]

I don't see what these people are on about when they say their wood tips chip within 5 minutes of playing. You have to play like a god damn gorilla to chip them that fast, my tips always last a long time, and by the time they are done, it's the same amount of time a nylon tip would have broken off anyway.


Agreed. If you are chipping tips. It's because the tip is hitting something other then a drum head or cymbal surface.


Look at most peoples drum heads, you'll find they don't even hit the drumhead all the time.

[TaylorRules]

I use good ol' Vic Firth 5A wood tipped sticks. I play mainly with the shoulder of the stick so the tips don't get chipped at all when I play.

[ilikenoise]

Wood.
Vic Firth.
80% of playing its a 2B or Thomas Lang sig.
20% 5B.

[FockerTheLopper]

Vic firth 7A and 5A I started using wood because I wanted to try out something new and my jazz band teacher made me because he was like supersticious of nylon, but I like them equally, wood has a better sound of rides I guess, but barely different

[IronCobra2x]

Wood, because it is God's gift to man.

[Chester]

i just gave wood another try, and the tip chipped on my pretty quickly... i just seem to like nylon better, but i dont really care too much.
im still looking for the right pair for me, i want to try those promark japanese oaks but i havent seen them in the store i go to

[Futuro]

Wood tips, dipped in Cosmetic nail hardener. :-/

[playwithfire]

Agreed. If you are chipping tips. It's because the tip is hitting something other then a drum head or cymbal surface.Wow, we're agreeing on something... but yeah, as far as "I'm afraid a loose chip of wood will stab through my drumhead"... that is so... over-the-top paranoid that I can barely comprehend it.

i just gave wood another try, and the tip chipped on my pretty quickly... i just seem to like nylon better, but i dont really care too much.
im still looking for the right pair for me, i want to try those promark japanese oaks but i havent seen them in the store i go toI just picked up a pair of Vic Firth 5A (wood tip of course), and the tips are still going strong, they usually last me a good while. I think quite a few people just overuse the tips on cymbals, like hihats. Playing with the shoulder is fine, you get a crisp closed sound still, and you don't always need the pinpoint definition of playing with tips... I find that the drummers I've know who complain about wood tips the most are the ones who consistently slam their tips into drumhoops accidentally.

[IronCobra2x]

I've never ever chipped a wood tip in my life. But if some people do more than others for whatever reason, and they find that nylon tips work better for them by all means continue.:thumb:

[Double Bass Jim]

that is so... over-the-top paranoid that I can barely comprehend it.
Haha thats ALL me man, total OCD on everything.

Thats probably why everything I have looks brand new haha.

[CombatWombat3]

Alright, quick question:

I make my own hot rods at home, but durability is a BIG issue. These things are really flimsy. So my question is, could I dip them in something like a varnish, or as someone in here said, something like nail polish? Or would that take away the sound and leave marks on everything?

[playwithfire]

Haha thats ALL me man, total OCD on everything.

Thats probably why everything I have looks brand new haha.:lol: There's a big diff between taking good care of your gear and worrying a splinter of stick is going to go through a drumhead :p.

[White]

the reson I dont use Nylon anymmroe, (im going to start agian though) is I had a bad eperience onetime with one, druming my old bands FIRST gig, the tip came off, during the show (and back then I liked my snare tilted (I have it almost flat now) and it tore throghu the head in the middle of the song, so, after ruining that gig, I stopped using them lol, I actually still ahve that stick lol, its like the death stick to me haha

[MXboy]

Nylon for me though i dont have any. Tried out a friends nylons at church and man they made his ride sound expensive :lol: Gonna grab meself a few pairs soon

[yourstruly]

I used nylon when I first started because something made me think they were better than wood ones just because they were different.
But now i'd have no problem using nylon ones, but I prefer wood.

[Caoimhine]

I am currently using AHEAD sticks and dispite all the moaning by people about how they damage cymbals, wear out skins and are too heavy i think they are unbelievable sticks. They are completely different to wooden stick as the weight is matched in both sticks and they are perfectl balanced! as for the sound it is no different than that of what most people achieve with their wooden sticks, infact i prefare the sound of the ahead. and i found they do reduce hand fatigue and strain on the wrist because of the compsition and ballance of the stick. You put less effort into hitting the drums and speed is improved.
(P.S sorry it's a bit long but just had to get my point across.!)

[IronCobra2x]

I am currently using AHEAD sticks and dispite all the moaning by people about how they damage cymbals, wear out skins and are too heavy i think they are unbelievable sticks. They are completely different to wooden stick as the weight is matched in both sticks and they are perfectl balanced! as for the sound it is no different than that of what most people achieve with their wooden sticks, infact i prefare the sound of the ahead. and i found they do reduce hand fatigue and strain on the wrist because of the compsition and ballance of the stick. You put less effort into hitting the drums and speed is improved.
(P.S sorry it's a bit long but just had to get my point across.!)

:lol: Finally someone owns up to being an Ahead voter, I'm guessing you were number four??? Well good for you for voicing your opinion, if you like em contiune to use em but they are just not for me.:D

[drummer172]

I use only wood, dont like the sound of nylon. Vater LA 5A's

[drummer172]

blujelly, Caoimhine, CheapAss, Drum Phil
those are the people who voted AHEAD, in case anyone cared.

[Kronos]

I always used to use all-wood, (5b) but I had trouble with the neck of the sticks wearing thin and then the ends breaking off (not to mention the myriad tiny chips of wood and dust that would get all over my kit and mat)
Last month I decided to try a pair of CarboSticks (European Classic), and I have to say I love 'em
No chips, no dust, nice balance, and a better (IMO) sound on all cymbals, esp the Ride.
Don't see myself going back to wood anytime soon; they might be dear but if they outlast wood by 8 times or so (as claimed) then they'll be a bargain.
If they're good enough for Bernard Purdie, they're good enough for me.

[kev191]

who are the ahead users

they shud own up

its a public poll.......

[kev191]

in my opinion, i just hate aheads, at my music store, they have a wall of sticks, then they have small, something like 5-8" thin practise pad like things that u can try them on, and the aheads just felt terrible in my hands, and i was just doing normal playing, and it was like i was killing the things

[Drum Phil]

its a public poll.......

:lol: I laughed at that way too much

[_R2D2_]

What are aheads, i have no clue.

[Drum Phil]

Metal sticks with a rubber sleeve on em

[_R2D2_]

wow aheads sound like they would tear your drums up.:(

[Rayne264]

wow aheads sound like they would tear your drums up.:(
that has been said literally over 5000 times on this forum

[aznriceball]

because its true :rolleyes:

[puppet.master]

its a public poll.......
for some reason i cant see who voted what though

[kev191]

just click one of the numbers, for example, the number 4 for ahead, the number 71 for wood, and the number 37 for nylon

[puppet.master]

hah thanks man

i feel like an idiot now

[Chipwich88]

Nylon Vic Firth Dave Weckl's and SRHN's but for woods i gotta say SD4's

i played a pair of vaters the other day and they were fiiine

[Obelisk]

Rim-Shot nylon tip 5A's.

Never had a problem with tip flying off.

[mctwistking]

Pro Mark 5A's
Japan Oak

[SkaRabbit]

i go outside cut a branch off a tree and wack away! ....wood

[TTTSNB]

Wood, nylons snap off right away for me. I'm not sure why.

[Panopticon]

i voted Ahead purely because i was tempted...though i used to use AHEADS...now i use both wood and nylon...depending on the song...when the main focus is ride work...i tend to use nylon more...if its a heavier song...wood...

[IronCobra2x]

Metal sticks with a rubber sleeve on em

Wait... Wait... Wait... Wait... Wait! Lois this is not Batman cup.:lol: but seriously according to Ahead, its a POLYURATHANE sleeve:lol:

[oliv_da_skinmasher]

Wood tip

Vic Firth American Classic 7A's
also
Vic Firth American Custom SD6(Swizzle B's)

purey because they both have a great feeling

[derryk]

go wood tipped Vater's..

[Motleyguy]

I use Vater 5B's, usually wood, but lately I've been trying the nylon tips out, I actually quite like 'em. No wood chips everywhere.

[Double Bass Jim]

Been using nylon for awhile.

Im diggin the regal tips.

[firefoxzero]

I'm an Ahead man just because they are the most durable. Wood sticks break too easily imo.

At the moment my drumsticks are a Tico Torres (I'm not a fan btw) signature Ahead stick and an ancient Dave Weckl signature (not sure which company) stick turned butt end up. I'm skint at the moment and I've broken quite a few Ahead sticks recently and they're quite expensive! :(

[TerranCmdr]

broken them? How? Did you run them over with a 4-ton truck? I would have guessed your cymbals would be breaking before your aheads - unless you use circular saw blades for cymbals?

[Double Bass Jim]

If you play alot of rimshots the sleeves on the aheads won't last long at all, less so then a wooden stick.

[playwithfire]

*eugh* Let's not talk about those monstrosities. Interestingly enough though Easton makes both Roc'n'Soc's and Aheads... I guess one great product has to be balanced out with a piece of crap... but other companies manage to have a great product line with no major pieces of trash... look at Yamaha and DW for instance. I guess some people need to stick to baseball bats.

And yeah, firefoxzero... how do you break Aheads?

[Double Bass Jim]

Actually there pretty easy to break, the sleeves crack in no time.

[playwithfire]

Then what the hell is the point of buying them :lol:. For that awesome plastic tone you get from the sleeve on a crash or your hats?

[Double Bass Jim]

Hahah yea man thats whats lame, ever play a rimshot with an ahead stick? My goodness it's horrendus!

[CombatWombat3]

Ya, it's pretty damn bad.

[theflame85]

Yea I never had bad luck with wood tips thats for sure, it's just one of those things thats in the back of my mind.

Thats the same with me. I have NEVER used a nylon tip stick in the 5 or so years ive been playing. I am absolutly PARANOID about getting stick marks on my cymbals. Even if they dont actually leave marks, i wont trust myself using them.

[playwithfire]

Yeah, nylon tips uglify even traditional finish, whereas wood tip stick marks don't look bad at all on all my A's :thumb:.

[firefoxzero]

And yeah, firefoxzero... how do you break Aheads?
The Ahead "metal" inner stick is hollow and quite thin inside if you've ever broken one. It's always that part which breaks first (with me anyway) and then the cover goes limp when playing.

I play a lot of death/black metal and don't really hold back on my hi-hats, snare and ride (although I haven't replaced my snare skin in over a year, I use Sabian AA rock hats and ride for about 3 years too). Maybe I play too heavy handed but it's more of a workout and easier dynamically playing that way for me.